Future Salvation
by DemonUchiha17
Summary: Team Free Will has once again been divided by a difference in viewpoint and the chaos has left the brothers racing to find Kelly before Lucifer's child is born. The Winchester's think removing the baby's grace will make everything right but will a chance meeting with a powerful young man make them believe in miracles again?


Coldness and darkness enveloped the Wincesters as they unwillingly lay unconcious and helpless at the base of the gateway of heaven. Haunting images from the showdown with Diagon consumed the thoughts of the Winchesters. The Prince of Darkness was consumed in flames and the bright blue of Castiel's eyes was replaced monentarily by an eerie golden hue. What exactly where they dealing with now and what would be the price they would have to pay to deal with it? Team Free Will was once again shattered by a difference of viewpoint which was absolutely infuriating. Why was it everytime Sam and Dean found themselves faced with the fury of an archangel their guardian decided to take the most risky aveune to deal with it? Insider knowledge of some possible blissful future was no excuse in Dean's mind for simply abandoning both Sam and himself again. Clearly Castiel had spent way too much time surrounding himself with the Winchesters. Over all these years he had picked up their ceaseless habit of making ultimate sacrifices for the sake of the other. Castiel blatantly disregarded their opinions and made his descision all in the hope of eliminating any and all responsiblity from his charges' hands. Enough was enough in Castiel's opinion. The blood of too many remained encrusted on Sam and Dean's hands and he could no longer watch the brothers drown in their regrets. Over and over Dean had informed Cas that he was family and if he was a Winchester it was time he started acting like one. Sam and Dean had made the tough call several times over and now it was the angel's turn to make the tough sacrifices for the sake of the world. For the first time in a long while Castiel had faith in himself and in the mission he clung to. The power resting within the unborn child of Lucifer would be enough to fix the universe and Castiel would spend the rest of his existance making sure that promise of a better future would be realized.

The cosmic consequences that Billy had spoke of could be somehow involved in the situation they were dealing with now. Since the Darkness the world hadn't dealt with a stronger supernatural force then the one promised with the birth of Lucifer's son. Nephilim were strong and this one promised to surpass them all. Even though Sam and Dean believed Lucifer was in the cage there was no doubt they feared what the diabolical Archangel could be planning now. Within Dean's dream world he recalled what the post apocalypic world looked like and the thoughts of Lucifer himself. Lucifer didn't want to destroy the world because it was the last perfect creation of his father who he still adored beyond measure despite his many betrayals. Having the child on the board would mean twice the trouble and double the destructive power.

Although Dean's thoughts were consummed with indescribeable negativity Sam's own thoughts on the situation proved to hold an ounce of hope and light. Lucifer proved he had several sadistic bones in his body but on a few occassions the younger Winchester believed he saw a flash of purity which seemed impossible for the living embodiment of all the world's darkness. When the Archangel ran into the Winchester's at the concert venue Sam didn't see a force of evil. He saw and heard the pain of a grieving son. All the second born archangel wanted was his family restored and it drove him crazy not having that opportunity. What if this whole situation was his attempt at cleaning the slate? What if Lucifer produced this child in the hope he could build a new family? While it wouldn't be the same it would still provide him with a source of love which he desired so desperately.

Long ago Sam put all of his faith in Jesse who was the child of a demon. He had preached about the goodness within the young man and told him he could be a force for good. Why were they all certain that Lucifer's child would automatically become this creature of darkness? Regardless of the parents involved no child was born evil. The Winchesters lost the chance with Jesse but perhaps they could make things right with this child. Sam knew that deep down Dean wanted a family of his own and he was fantastic with children. Maybe this was their final act of salvation for the whole world. The Winchester's would be able to raise the one who could save them all. Now that Sam actually gave thought to the idea it didn't sound all that horrible after all. All of this boiled down to having faith and seeing the righteous way through to the end.

The ideas continued to encompass the Winchester's dreams while the hours of darkness passed them by without any recognition or care. Although the Winchesters were located inches from the second most safe place in the universe all the powers at heaven were stunned upon feeling the presence of a mysterious hooded figure. The unidentified individual slowly made their way across the playground and bent down between the unconcious Winchesters. Aside from the clear indications of the being's gender the only visible attributes were the pentagram medallion hanging from a thin beaded necklace and glowing golden eyes. "See what I see and know what I know before you make your determinations of the future." The male whispered before reaching out and touching the Winchester brothers on the forehead with his index and middle fingers. While it appeared nothing transpired in that moment the brothers would soon realize more happened to them on that night then being forcefully put down by their guardian angel.

The warmth of the new dawn slowly filled the playground which was the mysterious individual's cue to make himself scarce. Carefully he stood up and glanced down at the slowly awaking brothers. How long would it take them to realize that things weren't what they seemed? Needless to say the adventure he forced the brother's on would be eye opening at the very least. "See you soon." The young man whispered before he gracefully turned around and began walking away to once again leave the Winchester's absolutely alone.

A groan escaped Sam's throat as he pulled himself off the ground and could feel the stiffness throughout his form from remaining on his side for over seven hours. The younger hunter scanned around the area and was relieved to know that they hadn't attracted any unwanted attention from other humans or the angels above. At the very least they didn't have to worry about protecting themselves when they still needed time to recover from the night's events. Slowly his gaze shifted to his older brother and found Dean sitting on the ground with a rather defeated expression on his features. Dean formed a tight fist by his side and then punched the ground in agravation. "Son of a bitch! Damn it all Cas! How could you man?"

A similar expression slowly made itself known on the younger hunter's features as he thought about everything that happened. Cas decided against reaching out to his family for help when things went sideways and once again decided to shoulder all the responsiblity himself. He couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed too. Sam had always expected that crap from Dean but now Cas was working around them as though they couldn't be trusted. It hurt a lot knowing that Cas would go to heaven for help instead of them when things got difficult. Perhaps Castiel feared that they would end up doing another reckless thing after the whole Billy incident. Sam understood Cas wanted to protect them both but he always seemed to forget that this desire went both ways.

Although both Sam and Dean allowed themselves to think the worst of Cas for a moment they both lighly shook their heads to chase away the thoughts. No, no it wasn't Cas. Lucifer's spawn had manipulated him just like the overwhelming power of millions of souls did. He didn't make the call himself. Dean wasn't sure who he was more pissed off at; himself for being so unable to save Castiel from himself or Cas for being so easily manipulated AGAIN. All Sam knew at this point was he was going to do all he could to bring their wayward angel back home for all their sakes. The bunker felt so empty when Cas wasn't around and he knew the loss constantly ate at Dean. The elder hunter internalized everything but Sam could see it as plain as the nose on his face.

The fustrations the elder hunter was experiencing was more than understandable in the eyes of the other. For months Castiel declared in no certain terms that this baby was an abomination and had to be dealt with. A creature of that much power was dangerous and could destroy the world and everything in it. For his own sanity he had to believe that Castiel was manipulated when that light ran through his body. The thought wasn't impossible considering who the father of this baby was. Lucifer was a master of manipulation so it only made sense the child could utilize the same playbook. Without hesitation Sam extended his hand and offered to help his big brother back to his feet. Dean glanced at his brother's hand for a moment before graciously taking it. Trying to find the right words to ease his brother's mind wasn't exactly easy when he too needed to be reassured everything would return to normal and that they wouldn't lose their best friend. "We'll get him back Dean. We will."

The words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Dean carefully made his way across the playground yard without uttering a single reply. The disappointed expression on his features deepened when he discovered the melted pieces of the Colt. He carefully picked the remains up and glanced down at it. The most powerful weapon they have ever come across was destroyed. Dean swore if Castiel hadn't taken out Diagon himself he would have endured the whole Mark of Cain ordeal all over to handle the Prince of Hell himself. That was the only comfort Dean could take away from the situation. There was one less Prince of Hell running around. Carefully Dean slid the broken colt in his pocket and narrowed his eyes when he felt something strange surrounding them. The hunter's instincts were sharp but even that well tuned sense couldn't help him locate the source of the uneasy sensation. Dean couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong aside from the fact Castiel flew the coop again. Add another annoyance to the long list of things that have been pissing him off as of late. Even though the influence of the mark was long gone Dean still felt the overwhelming urge to punch the crap out of something. Mentally he made a note of it and then muttered a "come on Sam" before walking past his little brother.

In all the chaos between Castiel making another knee-jerked decision and the destruction of the Colt Dean almost forgot another small matter, which to him wasn't small at all. Hours ago, Kelly had hijacked Baby and drove out here like a bat out of hell. Watching his precious car get treated so roughly made Dean sick to his stomach. Dean carefully looked over the Impala and then gently ran his hands over her exterior. "I'm sorry Baby. I know that crazy lady handled you roughly but don't worry I'm here now." Sam had a slightly disturbed look on his features as he listened to his brother coo at their car like he would any beautiful woman who crossed their path. The older Winchester rolled his eyes slightly when he heard the soft 'ew' escape from his brother's lips. Sam clearly didn't understand the bond between a man and his car which Dean contributed to his brother's geeky nature. If he really looked into the matter he would bet that his brother would react in a very similar way if someone was manhandling one of his precious and ancient research books. "Shut up and get in bitch."

One of Sam's signature bitch faces appeared on his features as he shot back with a "jerk" as he always did during one of their heated moments. The brother's muttered a few more things under their breath before they both climbed into their respected sides of the Impala and slammed the doors behind them. Instead of making a comment on how creepy he was being Sam turned his attention out the window and sighed. As the younger Winchester continued to gaze around he too began to get the sensation something just wasn't right. For him the reasoning was a little more concrete than just a gut reaction. Sam took notice of the trees surrounding the gateway. The leaves on the diciduous trees were starting to show signs of changing. That certainly didn't make sense since they were nearing the beginning of May not September. Was the development of the nephilim causing disruptions in the seasons or was there some other reason behind these supernatural happenings? What Sam and Dean didn't know was the whole thing was only going to get weirder.

Silence controlled the enviroment surrounding the brothers as they drove home to the bunker. Dean couldn't even bare to put in one of his cassettes for the whole thing remained him of Castiel's betrayal. The angel had felt so negatively about his place within the Winchester's lives that he would even go so far as try to return the gift Dean had pain stakingly made. 'You big idiot.' Dean muttered under the roar of the engine. Sam sat back in his seat and pitifully looked up at the sky as if he was praying for Chuck to once again interseed and make everything better again. He knew God wouldn't respond for he had left the world in the Winchester's hands. Still it would be nice to have a little help considering he was still partly responsible considering he left without saying anything to his favorite son.

The bunker door slammed shut behind Sam as the brothers made their way down the staircase. Neither one of them knew what their next move was. The clock was ticking and now they had locate their own supernatural version of Bonnie and Clyde. Less then a month was all the time the brothers had left to track down Kelly and they both knew Castiel would do everything in his power to hide her. Angel proofing, wardings the whole nine. That would leave out any possible supernatural methods of tracking. Unless Castiel slipped and accidently used one of Jimmy's credit cards there also wouldn't be a paper trail leading to his location. There was the tracking software on Castiel's phone but if he really didn't want to be found he would discard that immediately, at least that's what the Winchesters would do. Needless to say Dean was starting to get a headache as he realized what exactly they were up against. Castiel was an angel and had more experience on the battlefield than anyone and every hunter the brothers could think of. Not only that but the brothers had also been training Cas in the ways of a hunter. A deadly combination of knowledge to say the least.

Dean didn't bother with anything else and went straight for the kitchen where he grabbed himself a beer. Sam on the other hand was beginning to notice other things werent adding up. His gaze landed on the war room table and he noticed it was completely void of his earlier writings. After they discovered Castiel was gone they rushed out and they hadn't been back for hours. Did Cas swing by the bunker and erase their research to prevent them from tracking down Kelly? The brothers had taught Cas the art of covering his tracks when he decided to become a hunter. Out of frustration Sam let out another long breath and rubbed his temple. "Tell me you got something, Sam." Dean stated as he carefully placed down an open beer bottle before his brother.

Sam could hear the pleading buried within his brother's tone. He was despirate to find some way to find Castiel and bring him home where he belonged. Once again Sam felt that nagging pain in his chest when he realized he was going to commit his greatest sin again. Without answers he was going to let Dean down for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Dean, Cas may be controlled somehow but he's far from stupid. We taught him everything we know. He's in the wind. Unless we get Lu.."

"Don't say it, Sam. Just don't!" Dean shouted knowing that Sam was considering asking for Lucifer's help. Why would he even if he could? As far as he's concerned the Winchester's betrayed him just like God and Michael had. The guy seriously held onto his grudges and once his trust was lost it was lost. There wouldn't be a change in hell that Lucifer would consider helping them unless they offered him something big and Dean wasn't about to hand his brother over to the devil. The only positive note was that Lucifer would already be diligently searching for his son. They had a common goal so they could work together again but that always got messy as it was clear with all the times they had asked help from Rowena. Regardless in Dean's mind that wasn't an option. "We'll think of something else."

Options were in very limited supply but he could understand Dean's resistance to work side by side with Lucifer again. For a long time they thought killing Kelly and the baby was their only option. They thought up a plan that was crazy enough to work when nothing else seemed possible. When the boys put their heads together and thought hard enough they just came up with the right solution to satisfy their moral compass. Sam picked up the bottle and made his way into the library where he kept his laptop. He already had some clues that he could work off of and he wasn't going to waste a second. Before Sam could sit down in his usual spot the younger hunter blinked a few times as he gazed over at the initials they had carved into the table. To the younger hunter's confusion a 'C.W' now appeared beside the markings of 'D.W' and 'S.W'. Without absolute certainty he could say THAT wasn't there before. That was three weird occurances in less than an hour.

Now wasn't the time to consider any other paranomal events. Sam's focus needed to be completely on the task of locating Kelly before anyone else. Quickly he flipped open his computer and turned his attention to the time stamp on the bottom. His eyes widened when he saw it read; '12/28/2035' Somehow the Winchesters have woken up in a future world that resembled their own perfectly. "DEAN!"

The elder hunter nearly dropped his own bottle when he heard his brother screaming his name from the other room. Had someone gotten into the bunker when the brothers were out? Wouldn't be a stretch to think that considering the fact Mick did weeks before. Dean instictfully grabbed his sidearm and rushed into the room with it poised to strike any intruder supernatural or otherwise. When the elder hunter found his brother completely alone Dean gazed at his brother with a side-eyed glance of confusion. "What the hell Sammy?"

"Dean we aren't in our Kansas anymore." Sam stated with nervousness laced in his tone.

The elder hunter seriously felt like Castiel in that moment for he had no idea what his brother was going off about. Had he completely lost his mind and started quoting movies like he did on occassion? Dean shifted his glance to his brother's laptop and didn't find it frozen on some porn site which was usually one of the things Sam would berate him about. "What are you talking about?" The younger hunter innocently pointed to the bottom of his screen to show his brother the time difference. Just when he was about to explain it away by saying its a computer problem Dean also noticed the additional initials carved into the desk surface. Carefully he ran his finger across the letters and noticed how precise the cuts were. No switch blade did that. Only one person could have carved those letters in with such ease. Dean didn't understand why but he felt a calm over come him when he whispered, "Castiel Winchester."

Despite everything that had happened between them Castiel felt like he was a member of the family and that was clear by the initials. He identied himself as a Winchester instead of a Novak. Although that was a comforting thought that still hadn't explained how that got there. Through careful examination of the marks they seemed just as old as the ones left by the brothers. How was that possible? Castiel hadn't been there the day they left their mark and if he had done that overnight it would still appear fresh.

Before Sam or Dean could make any sense of the situation they heard the bunker door slam again. Who on Earth could have come to the bunker now? Castiel wouldn't bring Kelly here knowing that's the same place the brothers would go and it was clear he wanted to get as far away from the as physically possible. Instictfully the brothers rose to their feet and took hold of their guns and had them trained toward the doorway leading to the library enterence. A few moments later a young man no older than 20 walked toward the Winchester's without a care in the world which added to the brother's confusion. Who exactly was this kid and why wasn't he freaking out that people were pointing guns at him? The young man had wild short brown hair and piercing green eyes. The bad boy appearance continued with his choice of white t-shirt, black leather jacket and levis. A small smile appeared on his lightly tanned features. "Sam... Dean... how nice to see you again."

Neither Winchester had recalled running into this individual before. That ruled out him being a hunter for the brothers had little interaction with the larger hunter community although that too would change soon. That meant that this kid was either an Angel or a Demon and right now Dean wasn't in the mood to deal with either. His gaze narrowed dangerously as he kept his weapon poised to strike with a seconds notice. "Who are you?"

The young man innocently cocked his head to the side and looked somewhat confused when he witnessed the reaction to his presence. Sure the last time the young man had seen the hunters they were both unconcious but that seemed like a moot point. Sam innocently exchanged glances with his elder brother for a moment before he noticed the pentagram hanging from the young man's necklace. Sam wasn't sure how he figured it out but it was somewhat obvious given the young man's appearance and his choice of assessories. Everything was starting to make sense, including the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. "You're... you're Lucifer's son. Aren't you?"

The being before the Winchester's let out a small breath when he heard the angst within Sam's voice. When things came to Lucifer the younger hunter always had this way about him and it often pained the archangel to see it. Many people often gave the young man that very look when he informed them of his origins. Then again being the son of the devil wasn't exactly the most glamorous considering his track record. "Guilty, my name is Samael."

Dean's burning desire to kill something raged within him when he found himself face to face with the being they had been trying to hunt down for some time. It didn't make sense that he was full grown considering he hadn't even been born yet but that was a mystery for later. The expression on his features darkened as he moved his hand ready to pull the trigger. "What do you want from us?"

"Nothing. Simply want you to understand what I'm trying to do and what I have already done." Samael words were sincere but that alone didn't provide the brothers with much comfort. What was the end game this kid was after and why did he appear before them now? The three individuals simply began to have a gaze showdown waiting for the first to blink.

 **To be continued...**

 **Hello again my fellow SPN fans! Thursday's episode left me with so many emotions and gave rise to another one of my what if stories. I still not sure what the truth is behind that child but i want to believe like Cas that it has good intensions. Most likely not but we will have to wait and see. Originally I wanted to make this a one-shot but i think i'll get one or two more chapters out of it before I reach the conclusion of this chance encounter tale. Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. Leave me your thoughts in a review. It always gives me more inspiration to write more. I will see you all in the next chapter.**


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